He has a love for study, especially along lines of scientific investigation. He is a born mathematician, and no problem is so intricate that he cannot solve it. He is, of all the types, the most successful as a physician, and in my observation of the medical profession, the men who have succeeded in attaining fame, and with it a lucrative practice, are Mercurian in their leading type, with the Jupiterian type second.' There-verse is also a good combination, provided the Mercurian qualities are very strong. Numerous small vertical lines on the Mount of Mercury, with the Mercury finger longer than normal, or with the second phalanx long, will be a strong indication of talent for medical studies. This marking is to be found on the hands of prominent and successful doctors - It is called the "Medical Stigmata" (107). On the hand of a woman it shows great ability as a nurse. Energy, studiousness, scientific aptitude, combined with keenness in judging human nature, make the Mercurian an excellent diagnostician and practitioner. He is also talented as an occult scientist, being able, with his shrewdness and keenness of perception, to master all the intricacies of the intangible sciences.

Thus the Mercurian is well adapted to these occult studies, but, as he is fond of money-making, and bad Mercurians are conscienceless, we find the humbug clairvoyants and fortune-tellers all belonging to this type. Having met a number of alleged palmists who claim to tell your name from the hand, and the names of friends, I have found them all specimens of the bad Mercurian type, and they have often admitted to me that they knew little about Palmistry, but resorted to sleight-of- hand tricks, together with their ability to judge human nature, in order to fool the public and get money from them. These bad Mercurians, and the superficial knowledge of amateur palmists are responsible for the disfavor which in the minds of some people rests to-day on Palmistry. The Mercurian is a lover of that which is near to nature, consequently he admires horses, dogs, pictures of real life, natural scenery, or portraits. He is fond of reading, but it is not romance that attracts him so much as books which are true to life, nature, and humanity.

Dickens and, as a latter-day author, Kipling, are favorites with Mercurians.

No. 107. MERCURIAN DOCTORS' HAND.

No. 106. MERCURIAN BUSINESS MAN.

Of all the types none is stronger in the business world than the Mercurian (108). He has shrewdness, diplomacy, tact, management, influence over people, judgment of human nature, energy, and power of expressing himself, all of which are the very strongest elements one could have for a successful business career. No better illustration of the success of the Mercurian in the business world can be given than to point to the standing of the Hebrew race in mercantile circles to-day, and to state that a very large percentage of this people are Mercurians. They are ingenious in their ways of planning new schemes to make money, and original in their manner of putting them into operation. Mercurians are great imitators, and so clever that they can steal some other man's idea and pass it as their own. They make good actors and their powers of mimicry and study of nature enable them to create on the stage lifelike and realistic characters. They make excellent lawyers, having the keenness, the faculty of seeing a question from its many sides, as well as a knowledge of the failings of humanity. To this add oratory, and it completes an excellent combination for a lawyer.

They are excellent teachers, for their grasp of scientific knowledge, backed by an ability to say what they mean gives them a mastery in this field, and being judges of human nature, they know how best to reach each and every pupil.

The Mercurian, on his good side, is not vicious and criminal, he is only shrewd and keen. He is even tempered, loves children dearly, is devoted to his family and makes a constant friend. He is not in any degree a sensualist. His pleasures are largely mental and, while he is fond of beauty and women, he is not an amorous type. He is nervous and restless, his mind is active and he likes to travel, for changing scenery gives him the recreation and diversity that he needs. He is fond of nature, which appeals to him more strongly than anything artificial.

In the marriage relation the Mercurian is a match-maker. He enjoys the society of his fellows, marries early in life, chooses one of his own age, and very often one of his type. He loves trim, neat, stylish women, full of fire and life, and no type furnishes these elements so well as his own. He is proud of his wife, likes to see her well dressed, and makes a good husband, provided he represents the good side of the type.

In health the Mercurian is nervous; his quickness and energy speak in unmistakable terms of the electric current which is coursing through his nervous system, stimulating it to great activity. This nervous energy prevents his being lazy, makes him love to travel, and this energy sometimes becomes excessive, so that you will find many Mercurian hands with fluted nails more or less pronounced in development. Be on the lookout with this type for nervous trouble, which interferes with his liver so that he becomes bilious. His liver trouble differs from that of the Saturnian, for it disappears when the nervous trouble is relieved, as it is not structural difficulty as with the Saturnian. His olive complexion shows a tinge of bile; and stomach trouble, dyspepsia, and kindred disorders are often met. His activity tends to drive away these difficulties, and his system quickly responds to treatment for them. If he has paralytic trouble it most often attacks his arms and upper extremities. It is often helpful to note the Line of Mercury with this type, for by its wavy or broken course it shows the extent of bilious and stomach trouble. The Mercurian is a healthy type, so we do not look first for illness with them, hut for peculiar mental characteristics.

They have their disorders, however, so be always on your guard that you do not overlook them.